Historical Perspectives AWCI Publishes A Rarely Seen George Daniels Lecture From 1990

The American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute (AWCI) is the professional organization for watch and clock makers in the USA. Every year, the AWCI holds a national convention with classes and lectures focused on horological education. At the 1990 convention George Daniels delivered a fascinating lecture to the Institute, which was recorded but unfortunately relegated to storage shortly thereafter. Luckily for all of us today, the VHS tape was recently rediscovered and digitized. Daniels lectured on the development of his watches and escapement, touching on the difficulties he encountered while trying to commercialize his invention. The lecture is accompanied by animations of escapements, shown to demonstrate the improvements that the Daniels co-axial introduced. Hearing Daniels explain his motivations and challenges is absolutely fascinating, and well worth an hour of your time to watch.

George Daniels lecturing at the AWCI, 1990.

I first started making watches in 1967 because I was incensed by the hysterical adulations of the quartz watch by people who didn't really understand its failings.

– George Daniels

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Daniels was introduced by Henry B. Fried, past president of the Horological Society of New York, past president of the New York State Watchmakers Association, and vice-president of the Horological Institute of America (a precursor to the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute.) Daniels explained that he had “learned a good deal” from Fried’s books, and was delivering the lecture in Fried’s honor. Interesting to note: Daniels described Fried as the “Dean of American Horology”, which the New York Times also used to describe Fried in his obituary. The AWCI also recently digitized and uploaded an interview with Fried from 1992, which is definitely worth watching as well.

I spoke with Jordan Ficklin, Executive Director of the AWCI, to learn more about this video. “Many years ago AWCI was quite prolific in producing videos that could be used around the country by our affiliate chapters. They were regularly mailed from our library to chapters to be viewed at their meetings. When we transitioned to DVDs many of the old VHS tapes going back to the 80s and 90s were placed in a cabinet in the library never to be seen again. Recently someone requested to buy one of these videos and upon locating it we decided it would be best to make them freely available to the public. There are more than 50 different titles on VHS hiding in cabinets and probably many more in other formats including some old slide and 8mm presentations. Over the next few months we will be digitizing and releasing those of historical significance.” Ficklin also explained that included in the list of VHS tapes to be digitized is a lecture by Philippe Dufour from 1990.